Old Pulteney
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
Abv: 40%

Old Pulteney is not available here in NS at the moment. When I first rekindled my whisky journey in 2019, my early shopping trips to the LC tended to center around price point and sales more so than actual research. I spotted an Old Pulteney on a yellow tag sale, so I picked it up to see what it was all about. Since then, it has disappeared from the shelves here, but just across the border in NB they still stock it. I picked up a bottle over the summer when we were there on holiday.

Bottle Notes
“Our Twelve Years Old is matured next to the sea exclusively in fine American Oak ex-bourbon casks. Flickering from amber to gold and copper on the eye, subtly intense waves of fresh brine, toffee and salty sea air recollect the Caithness coastline, with honey, vanilla and spicy fruit washing across the palate in a faintly salty, long-lasting finish.”

Nose
Some nice brine to open the show. Gentle waves of toffee or butterscotch. Lots of gentle notes here – nothing stringent or sharp, just a comfortable, inviting cloud of whisky goodness. The salty air is prominent, consistent, and a thorough delight.

With a bit of time and air, the barrel starts to show, with gentle vanilla notes seeping in from the bottom.

A dusty malt note appears later in the dram – a nice light blanket that does not diminish the salty air or the butterscotch notes.

Palate
Honey coats the tongue, and the saltiness continues with a lip smacking pop.

Some fruitiness pops up now, berries perhaps. There is a definite sweetness here, the honey may be the driver, but some berries and fruit are definitely passengers on this trip.

Finish
Mostly a lingering brine, the honey sweetness sticks around for a medium length of time. Loving that salty taste and finish.

Final Thoughts
This is an excellent whisky. I have a history with this one, and up until this year, I would not necessarily have included it in my top whiskies list, but either my palate has changed, or this newer bottling has taken it to another level.

When I was able to buy it here in NS, the Old Pulteney 12yo came in an oval shaped canister, and was a 700ml bottle size. In NB, they still have a few of those around, but mostly they have a newer 750ml size that comes in an impressive square, sturdy box.

The 700ml bottling that I started with, I recall as a bit sharp on the palate, light on the promised salty air, but with a nice thread of smoke that I always got in a narrow strip down my tongue on the finish. These latest drams from the 750ml bottling, the salt and brine are front and center, the sweet honey and butterscotch toffee presents a lovely creaminess, and the barrel notes come in mid-dram, in a gentle and inviting way. I would not say I can pick up any smoke from these latest drams, but honestly, I don’t think it needs any.

This is a winner, I would recommend picking one up if you happen to see it on a shelf somewhere. I expect to be making a road trip to NB some day to restock!

Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
Abv: 47.4%
Non Chill-filtered
(tasting note from Nov 7, 2020)

Ardbeg, one of the stalwart distilleries on the isle of Islay, producer of one of my very favorite whiskies to date, the Ardbeg 10 year old. This new 5 year old expression is the latest addition to their core line of whiskies. They’ve been applauded for not shying away from boldly stating the “young” five year old nature of this bottling.

Bottle Notes
“A monster of a dram. Young and intensely smokey with a rich explosive mouthfeel of chocolate, tar and savoury meats.

Senses are heightened with each encounter. First comes an intense aroma of cracked black pepper, mingling with sappy pine resin and the sharp tang of smoke. Suddenly the explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. Savoury meats sink into the palate, before the long salty mouth-coating finish slinks away.”

Okay then! Sounds like a feisty dram to be sure, let’s see how it ships.

Nose
Immediately – smouldering, tarry railway ties. Smoke and tar, heavy, greasy creosote ties. Hints of fruit peek through here and there. Peat may be in there, but raw, and rough. The smoke comes and goes in strength, wafting it’s way through the glass. There is a rawness, a harshness of the tar and creosote that never diminishes. Not quite a dirtiness – the edges are crisp and sharp, even with that oily character. With some effort, I can pick out the chocolate the bottle claims.

After repeated returns to the nose, overall I feel a burning, smoldering, smoking creosote oil lamp.

Palate
Strong tar and dirty creosote – overwhelming! Some sweet notes attempt to sooth the tongue. Bursting, strong, fiery. Those sweet fruits do crowd in as the tar fades. Striking and strong, a pleasant burst of fruit, but one that is fleeting.

Finish
Quick at first, but then a lingering, ashy, mouth-coated beast pokes its head up and takes you for a stroll. Cigar ash and fading creosote. The sweet fruit hints a return now and then, but it is faint and fleeting like a nymph on the fens of Scotland. A cigar long since finished, and I crave a brushing of the teeth.

Final Thoughts
It is a heavy dram. Heavy on the nose, the palate, the finish. I feel tired after having finished it! I’ve carried the dirty creosote soaked railway tie down the lane, thrown it on the smoldering fire, and taken a bite of almost-ripe fruit to finish the chore. The ashen finish follows me to the bunk, where I fade to sleep with faint dreams of what could be.

I think there is a heaviness here that is an abrupt departure from the Ardbeg 10, as in, I don’t think this is just an Ardbeg 10 bottled 5 years earlier. But I love the uniqueness, the distinctiveness of it. It’s an awesome bottle to have on the shelf, for that “once in a while” trip down a very different path. I think it’s something I’ll want on my shelf again at some point, but this one has been here a while, and will likely be here for a while longer!

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch – Triple Grain American Oak
Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
41.3% abv
Bottle Number: TG3 81613
(tasting note from Oct 29, 2020)

The Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch series is an experimental extension of the JW brand. Master blender Dr. Jim Beveridge leads the experimental blending and they’ve been releasing these “blenders’ batch” editions over the past few years. This is the third release in the series, following Red Rye Finish, and Bourbon Cask and Rye Finish.

This had been hanging around the NSLC shelves for quite a while in my observation. At $50 it was a borderline for me, nothing in the online reviews got me interested enough to give it a whirl, even in our Johnnie Walker infatuation period. When it went on yellow tag for $42 I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Bottle notes
“Three Grain whiskies using wheat, barley and corn – blended with select Malts. Sweet and creamy with fresh fruits and gentle, spicy smoke. Aged 10 years in American oak casks.“

Nose
Predominantly barrel and spice on first approach. There are subtle notes of fresh fruit, and some hints of malty cereal.

With time and tasting, the cereal notes are stronger – quite pleasant after a sip and 10 minutes. A bran or wheat cereal, with a light topping of fruit, served in a new wood bowl. This has really become quite a nice little dram on the nose, but the start was such strong barrel and spice, hard to approach initially.

Palate
Creamy, fairly smooth and fruity, some kick of spice, and an oaky presence. Each sip brings more of that creamy mouthfeel and sense of cereal with a light topping of fruit.

It becomes more muted later in the dram. But not unpleasant – it has turned even smoother and integrated in the mouth.

Finish
Lingering, medium length. Fading cereal and barrel. Creamy for some time.

Final Thoughts
I found this to be a bit of a harsh startup, but with time became a fairly pleasant dram. The wood and spice dominate for the first 5 minutes or so, but then fades and let’s a lovely creamy cereal and subtle hints of fruit to take center stage. The mouthfeel is unique and pleasant. Often there is a kick of spice and spirit, so it feels like a dram to be careful with. But with the right care, is a pleasant partner.

Likely not a bottle I would pick up again. I do enjoy the special edition nature of it, and the link to Johnnie Walker, but as a dram of whisky, not one I would choose over any number of other decent available selections.

Lagavulin Limited Edition 8 yo
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
48% abv
200th Anniversary edition (1816 to 2016)
(tasting note from Oct 24, 2020)

Lagavulin is one of the “big three” Islay distilleries. I personally have only had this Lagavulin bottle on my shelf. The standard Lagavulin 16 will appear one day, but begrudgingly, as the price puts it into the very rare purchase territory. I scooped this gem on a yellow tag, regular $100, on for $80. This particular bottle, I purchased (and opened) a year ago! It is almost gone, but a solid 2-4 drams still in the bottle.

This Limited Edition bottling is to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the distillery (1816 – 2016). The age (8 year old) is a nod to “the great whisky writer Alfred Barnard”, who visited the distillery in 1886. He made mention of an 8 year old Lagavulin, which he described as “exceptionally fine”.

Color
Very light, like a fine white wine, a hint of yellow gold.

Nose
My goodness, smoke. Smoke before I even get close to the glass! As soon as the bottle is opened, it seems like smoke fills the room.

The smoke thins out and reveals a lovely earthy tone. Wine sweetened clay pots. A strong, rich aroma, swaddled in smoke and earthy peat. Hints of raisin, prune.

Now a strident acidity – citrus, lemon peel. The smoke returns, washing away the subtle notes like a gentle lapping tide, smoothing the sandy beach. Then earth, giving way to the gentle fruits again. Dried wooden barrels come in after a few moments. Lots of interesting sweet notes with a deep nose, with a returning tickle of smoke and peat often.

Changing, but never weakening. Strong, rich, bold. An excellent way to spend a half hour!

Palate
Initially strong of spirit, and of smoke. Gently bursting fruit quickly follows. A slightly peaty, ashy finish quickly comes on.

Subsequent sips bring lovely sweet fruits, held up on a bed of smoke. The spirit is much tamed and the nose experience is more evident on the palate now.

Finish
Cigar like, ashy, mossy. Some faint lingering fruit sweetness. Oily mouthfeel.

The sip fades gently to smoke and ash and sweetness, like rain slowly melting down a window.

Final Thoughts
One of my favorite whiskies to be sure. This is an excellent smoky, vegetal, fruity whisky, with a changing experience over the course of the dram. It is strong, rich, and grabs your attention right out of the gate, and holds it all the way to the finish.

I continue to be amazed by the striking similarities and differences between the Islay whiskies. Ardbeg and Laphroaig with their own character, and with this taste of Lagavulin, I feel another similar, yet distinct identity. While I have tasted the Lagavulin 16 in restaurants, I have not had the time to sit and appreciate it. I am looking forward to experiencing that core expression from this distillery.

Johnnie Walker is the most widely distributed brand of blended whisky in the world, and the Black Label is one of the world’s best selling Scotch whiskies. Coming in locally at just under the $60 mark, for me it hovers between the mid-range good value price ($55 – $65) and the what I consider the largely ‘excellent whisky’ price ($70-$90+). We’ve often talked about what a great value it is for the shelf, I needed to spend an evening with this stalwart and discover my true feelings!

Nose
Initially smoke, followed quickly by dark fruits – fig, raisin, very pleasant and sweet. There is a definite oakiness, all of those barrel notes in there. Spicy, delightful.

I also get dry hay, and straw. It mixes nicely with the fruit – I picture a basket of dry straw with ripening figs nestled in it.

Smoke recedes with time, but it still can be found when sought after.

After some time in the glass, a vanilla custard appears. Creme Brulee. No pastry notes, just a nice vanilla custard. I can seek out many of these notes and find them. They don’t always come forward to show themselves though.

Palate
Rich and full. Sweetness, dark fruits, some serious vanilla undertones. Smooth and easy on the tongue. Every now and then I sense a bite of spirit, but it is fleeting. Nothing terribly strong actually – all the notes are nice, smooth, but mid strength. Well blended perhaps?

Finish
The sweet dark fruits fade away, and there is a bit of lingering smoke perhaps. Definitely a vanilla barrel and spice finish, as the sweetness of the sip departs.

Final Thoughts
I was happy to take the time with a dram of this shelf standard – for me it swings between middling and marvelous, from dram to dram. Taking the time with it, I was struck by the nose, a really nice multilevel experience. The taste didn’t seem to evolve much, and was overall mid-range in power (not muddled or weak, just not a strong impression in any one thing).

I may have been influenced by other reviews that state “look for smoke, there’s smoke. Look for fruit, there’s fruit. Look for vanilla, there’s vanilla”. I would agree with that on the nose for sure. But the palate and finish were fairly consistent, and not particularly dynamic.

A neat association I have with JW Black is the show “The Deuce”, set in the 70’s and 80’s, New York criminals and cops, lots of bars. Every time the cops would come in to hassle or visit the bars, it was “Whisky. And not that cheap stuff – top shelf”. And out comes the JW Black, every time.

I’m not entirely sold on the value for this one. At just under $60, I’m trying to think of whiskies I enjoy more. Haven’t come up with any yet (except some sweet yellow tags!) so maybe this is best in show for this price range. I’m probably a bit inclined to creep into the $70 tier for some whiskies I enjoy a fair bit more. And as a regular sipper, the price makes it a non-starter against bargains like Cutty Sark, JP Wiser TBR, and Teachers Highland Cream.

Deerstalker Limited Release
Speyside Single Malt scotch whisky
Age: 20 years 1 month
Distilled: 8 Dec 1994
Bottled: 7 Jan 2015
Distillery: Braeval
Cask number: 159164
Bottle number: 34 of 276
Matured in ex-bourbon barrel
Unchill filtered, natural colour
48% abv
(tasting note from Oct 8, 2020)

As best as I have been able to determine, Deerstalker is a bottler – they will buy casks of whisky from various distillers and either further age them, or move them to different casks and further age/evolve them. I haven’t figured out if they do their own distilling, but these Limited Release series definitely seem to be sourced from other distilleries. I see Speyside (this one), Lowlands, Highlands, etc. Various age statements as well (10, 12, 15, 20, etc). I picked this one up on a yellow tag impulse (I’m such a sucker for these! I only see $ saved, not $ spent!)

The box text simply states:
“Color – Light Amber
Nose – clean, malty notes
Taste – Spicy – good combination of oakiness and almonds
Finish – Well balanced with a beautiful sweetness“

Color
The pour is nice to look at. It is light, has a golden straw-like appearance. Pretty.

Nose
Right out of the gate, it is strong. There are stringent, alcohol notes. There could be an overall fruity scent in there, hard to tell.

Then the barrel comes in strong now. Big strong wooden staves, pushing that sawdust, straw, barrel to the fore. Am I getting any fruit, really? Straw and sawdust/barrel, mostly.

On a gentle approach to the nose, there are very faint sweet and lightly floral notes. Very hard to pick up.

Air seems to gentle the barrel. Peach, lightly pastry perhaps. Caramel. All the notes are so faint, so subtle.

After a sip, clean and malty like the box says. The sweet fruit and light pastry brushes the edges now and then, very fleeting.

Palate
Strong, burn. Fiery. Some sweetness, spicy oak. Maybe summer fruits.

Once the burn passes, there are echoes of the nose, but honestly feels more like a spirit-heavy liquor.

Finish
Burn slowly fades, some faint sweetness lingers.

Final Thoughts
Overall, nothing really here for me. I don’t feel like there are hidden gems in here, it comes across as light in flavour, strongly alcoholic. I don’t get any hints of wonder, just faint echoes of other whiskies I’ve enjoyed more. The alcohol is strong, and isn’t masked by any big flavours or interesting notes. Harsh undertone to all parts of the experience. For me this was definitely a miss on the Yellow Tag lottery.

Poit Dhubh 21yo (“Potch Ghoo”)
43% abv
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
“Connoisseurs Gaelic Whisky”
(tasting note from Oct 1, 2020)

Pronounced “Potch Ghoo” (black pot) – a Gaelic term for an illicit still. The Poit Dhubh 21yo bottle text promises aromas of vanilla, oak and peat. Unchillfiltered, but colored. Some reviews feel that Islay and Skye hold some sway in this whisky – if true, it promises to be a fine dram.

Colour
On first pour, the color is notably dark. It looks rich and decadent.

Nose
Smoke and bits of subtle peat on the first nose. A deep nosing gives bits of musty, earthy notes. A slow approach to the nose is floral, vanilla, some sweetness. Berries eventually come to the fore – strawberries, raspberries. There is strong field freshness here – slightly sun dried grass. The smoke and peat return, lightly.

After a sip, the nose is mostly peat and smoke. Dried, smoked earth packed into an oaken barrel. However, always able to pull back and pick out the berries that were grown in that earth.

A wonderfully evolving, delicate nose. It demands some attention, and is delightful.

Palate
First sip is all sweet, smooth, rich and buttery. Mostly sweet fruity richness, with some peat, some smoke. Full, rich mouthfeel.

Second sip, much stronger with peat. Sweet still, with a sherry cask character, vanilla, sweetness. Again that rich, full mouthfeel, perhaps a bit of a burn.

Finish
The sweetness of the sip starts to fade, with peat and smoke slowly taking over the finish. But a layer of sweetness clings to the mouth. It is a long, lingering finish. Very pleasant. Mostly sweet and fruity as the smoke recedes. Hints of salty finish at the very end of the dram.

Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a real delight. I loved the evolving nose – always a treat and I enjoy taking long minutes to discover the story. The peat and smoke are indeed subtle compared to the Islay standards, but they add a nice counterpoint to the rich sweetness. There is a consistently rich, buttery, almost decadent feel to the dram.